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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cue · bass · rash · lean · charge · patient · saw · nail

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. lean — to bend
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. charge — electricity
  5. charge — in control
  6. bass — low music
  7. rash — hasty
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. charge — a price
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bass — the fish
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. lean — thin
  18. cue — a hint
  19. saw — the tool
  20. rash — a series
  21. cue — for pool
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. cue — a signal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com